In a strange television coincidence this week, the Championship Section National Final at the Royal Albert Hall gained a high profile mention on the BBC.

Quiz question

However, it wasn't a regional news stories about the local band representing their community in the heart of London, or even a feature about the value that politicians place on the provision of music teaching in schools (which was certainly the case in Scotland this week) — but a quiz question.

It came in an episode of the popular tea-time 'Pointless' programme where four teams of two contestants must find the most obscure answer to general knowledge questions.

Brass bands

After a series of elimination rounds the finalists play for the 'Pointless' prize (in this case £1,250) after being given the choice of a specialised category — and in this case, one of the categories chosen by contestants Graeme and Nitesh, was brass bands.

Not only that, but they then either had to give the most obscure answers in giving the name of any band that had won the Championships Section National title since 1900 up to 2023, or any actor with a credit given in the film 'Brassed Off!'

they then either had to give the most obscure answers in giving the name of any band that had won the Championships Section National title since 1900 up to 2023, or any actor with a credit given in the film 'Brassed Off!'4BR

Wrong answers

The chaps decided on the cast members of the film — opting for Bernard Bresslaw, Robert Carlyle and Ricky Tomlinson. Unfortunately, all three did not appear in the film, so they didn't win the cash jackpot.

Perhaps they should have gone for the National winners.

Pointless answers for the winners of the National Championships since 1900, included CWS (Glasgow), Denton Original, Fairey and Hebburn Colliery. In fact, every past winner was a pointless answer apart from Grimethorpe Colliery, Brighouse & Rastrick, Cory, Foden's, Black Dyke, Irwell Springs and Leyland.

Oddly, a couple of years ago conductor Frank Renton was a pointless answer on the quiz after contestants were asked to name BBC Radio presenters...

Enjoy

You can see how they got on around 38 minutes int to the programme at:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002kjq7/pointless-series-34-episode-14